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Monday, July 9, 2012

Here's the short version: For every comment I get on this post with a question about pork farming (sustainability, modern practices, etc), the National Pork Board will donate 1 pound of pork (up to $1,000 worth) to The Foodbank of Ohio.

The longer version is that in a couple of weeks, I am traveling to Versailles, OH to Wuebker Farms to learn about the Farm To Table aspects of modern day pork farming, courtesy of the National Pork Board. It is no secret that I'm a prime consumer of pork.

I'm excited to learn more about pork farming because I am one generation removed from the original "Farm to Table" movement. My mom knows all about it because while she grew up slinging tobacco in North Carolina they also had hogs. She had a "pet pig" named "Poogie". You know what happened when Poogie got old enough? Yes. Poogie went from farm to table. True story.

Since Poogie became dinner over 50 years ago, much has changed with the farming of pork to produce a leaner and cleaner pork.

I am really curious about what all I will learn during this trip because when I think about it in reverse order...

I worked in a meat department of a grocery store in the mid-80s (I was underage so I wasn't allowed to butcher and I never used the powered equipment......wink wink). I'm experienced on the retail end.

I visited a meat packing plant many times when I moved to working for the corporate offices of the same grocery store. I've seen the production end.

The only part that I have not seen is where the real magic happens, the farming aspect.

I will be posting more about my trip as it happens but for now, please help me, help The Foodbank in Ohio by asking me a question that I should ask during my visit to the pork farm. Don't worry about whether or not someone has already asked it, just ask what you want to know.

55 comments:

Chris, when you get to the farm, ask what they give the pigs to bulk them up, and what, if any, the side effects are. There are horror stories about the Tyson pork farms and their giant vats of pig poop that is too toxic to mix with the ground water. It would be interesting to know how much truth is behind those stories

Great post - great idea! I hope you receive a lot of comments...now, my question is: Was Porky Pig's stutter the result of some early childhood trauma? Like if he saw his parents dragged from the sty and sent to the slaughterhouse?! I've always admired him, nice to know a stutterer can achieve fame and fortune in Hollywood...and speaking of Hollywood, it's been rumoured for years that Porky Pig and Miss Piggy have a hoof for each other, could you deny or confirm this for me? Enquiring minds want to know.

Is there a difference in taste between different methods of raising? Do organic free roaming pigs taste different and/or better than others? I assume pigs don't really "roam free", but you probably know what I mean..

Always, always happy to help feed people! And you are, indeed, not just "a prime consumer of pork" but an admirable one! Do the farmers have any favorite recipes they might like to share, that they feel really showcases their product and maximizes its flavor?

What a great opportunity! Can't wait to hear all about it. My question is in regards to the flyer above. What exactly has caused the decrease in pigs needed from 8 to 5, which in turn results in decreased water usage, carbon footprint, and land for feeding? They speak of the improvements but I am wondering how or why or what caused these improvements? What are they doing differently than years ago?

I still think the idea of centralizing the meat processing and packing in this country is a bad one. Give me local growers where I can talk to the man who raised the pig and that I can take directly to a butcher of my choice for processing. The days of being able to know where your food came from, what it really ate and that you can trust what you are eating is long gone and it will unfortunately be our downfall.

I'm curious what you'll learn also. When I lived in Kansas, a good friend owned a small operation pork farm and I spent some time there. I wish I would have paid more attention to the practices. All I knew is that it tasted fabulous. And then there was the time my cousin sold a big chunk of land in Western Kansas to a huge factory pork farm operation. Everyone was HORRified about them coming in. So yeah, I'll be interested in your trip.

I come from a pork loving family. Tons of family recipes handed down over the years. Alas, many of the recipes no longer work because the pork has become so lean, the recipes end up with dried up pork instead of the juicy stuff. Can get back to the juicier pork, ie less lean piggies??

I'll comment for a pound to the food bank. Have a great time on the farm. I'm sure it's not the same when I grew up in Iowa years ago. The product is much better so I'm sure the precess is much different. We expect a full report.

With the development of "leaner" pork, how has the overall flavor of pork products changed in the past 20 - 30 years? Why don't grocery stores offer "heritage" pork for consumers who are concerned more about flavor than about corporate profits and overall cost?